250 The next question, of course, is: what are the player characters going to deal with as they explore this place? Now, each of the Lothric locations in the next chapter comes with suggestions for potential encounters, and a table of random encounters for you, as the GM, to draw on when you decide you want to throw something at your player characters unexpectedly. But, as the chapter indicates, and as anyone who plays DARK SOULS knows, you don’t encounter every enemy in every location. Visit the Cathedral of the Deep, for example, and you’ll be confronting Pontii Knights, not Silver Knights. Picking two or three enemies from Chapter Seven: Monsters & Antagonists to suit the location is probably the best way to go, achieving a genuine feeling of completeness, of unity. Of course, there’s also nothing wrong with choosing entirely at random, and creating something with a feeling of dislocation; of uncertainty. dis can be just as eiective. A typical DARK SOULS location usually features a number of different enemies, providing players with an array of diierent strategic questions. Building a similar variety into your games ensures the player characters are going to be challenged. dese are the foot soldiers, the mooks or minions, crowding the table below can be used to either inspire your choices, or to randomly generate some creatures and opponents for your player characters to deal with. Roll once for each column and see what you get! Kindling the Flame — Encounters We know there are creatures from DARK SOULS I and DARK SOULS III in the following table - if you prefer to keep your games strictly connected to only one of these sources, change things as you prefer! We wanted to oier lots of choice... and surprises!
251 1 Corvian Darklurker Dragon First Enemy Type Second Enemy Type Cird Enemy Type D10 Result Cragspider Scarecrows Darkwraiths Hollows Giant Crow Hydra Giant Leeches Basilisk Fang Boar Forlorn Stone Knights Scarecrows Silver Knights Giant Mosquito Wretch Bat-winged Demon Skeletons Scarecrows Iron Golem Sewer Centipede Titanite Demon Man-serpent Winged Knights Ice Golem Slime Capran Demon Fang Boar 2 3 4 6 5 7 8 9 10
252 DARK SOULS is famous (or should that be infamous?) for its boss rghts. dese are mighty confrontations in which player characters must be constantly seeking to adapt to changes in attack patterns, avoiding big attacks, and, over time, whittling down the health of their foe. dey are diCcult, exhausting coneicts, but they are also hugely rewarding. Every location in a DARK SOULS game has at least one boss. Larger locations, broken down into 10 or so individual areas, might have two mini-bosses before the rnal confrontation. dis is very much dependent on you, and on the kind of adventure you’re running. If you’re seeking to really stretch your player characters, then a mini-boss rght is a great way to do so. Alternatively, if you want your adventure to be concise, a single boss rght is certain to be enough. A table below is provided to allow you to either choose a boss suitable for the kind of adventure you’ve constructed, or to generate one randomly. If you’re selecting a boss, read their write-up in the bestiary and try and rnd one suitable for the location you’ve built, or generated. Alternatively, you can always use their statistics, and surrounding lore, as a basis for designing your own bosses, building them to be precisely what your adventure calls for. 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 Vordt of the Boreal Valley Deacons of the Deep Blackdragon Kalameet Curse Rotted Greatwood Iudex Gundyr Gaping Dragon Yhorm, the Last Giant Demon Prince Artorias Aldrich, Devourer of Gods D10 Result Boss Kindling the Flame — Bosses
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254 The land of Lothric isn’t just occupied by hollows, dragons, and monsters. Others, some unkindled, some still truly alive, still dwell in the shadow-haunted remnants of Lothric. Some might be helpful, possessing insights the player characters can elicit from them with enough time and attention. Others might prove truculent, or diCcult, refusing to help, and potentially even plunging the player characters into greater danger, with false directions, or misleading information. DARK SOULS focuses a great deal on exploration, and on combat. Non-player characters form an important counterpoint to this dynamic, adding a new focus—social interaction—but also providing an alternative perspective on the events the player characters might encounter, or on the information they might glean bout the world as they venture through it. Chapter Seven: Monsters & Antagonists doesn’t feature many non-player characters, or NPCs, for the player characters to interact with. While the World of Lothric refers to several people the characters might meet, extensive statistics aren’t necessary. NPCs in DARK SOULS tend to be almost part of the world; they are woven into the world, people for the characters to meet and talk to, to gain new insights and new knowledge. dey don’t necessarily act or become a part of the player character’s journey. dis isn’t so normal in a tabletop roleplaying game. For anyone reading this who has GM’d an RPG before, the experience of a group of players deciding to befriend a random stranger they met in an inn, wanting to learn everything about them and taking them on every journey is somewhere between a treasured memory and a faintly exhausting nightmare. The DARK SOULS video games work very diierently of course, and, as a result, so does the world of DARK SOULS. NPCs are unlikely to accompany you on your journey— some might give you directions or oier you a measure of assistance. Others might open new quests, new aspects of the game, but the capacity to interact with them is limited. Again: this is not the case in DARK SOULS: The Roleplaying Game. As a result, it’s important for you, as the GM, to know how you want to utilise NPCs. Do you want to keep them as conrned to the fringes of the game as the video game does? Or are you going to let the player characters indulge their instincts a little more, building out your NPCs into more fully developed characters? de rrst choice helps maintain the DARK SOULS atmosphere, the ambiance, of the game. de other choice promotes the kind of organic, free form play tabletop games are so good at. dere is no right or wrong choice here; it’s all about the type of game you want to play. When designing your own NPCs, keep in mind both what you what them to do, and how you want them to do it. Keep in mind how players, and their characters, are liable to react. If, for instance, you don’t want an NPC to be stabbed in the face, either make sure they’re sympathetic and friendly or they’re as hard as the scales of Blackdragon Kalameet, because player characters are almost certain to punch, stab or set on rre anyone who annoys them even slightly. Kindling the Flame — NPCs
255 Ironshod Ghorm Of Anor Londo Mighty Jalice Grave-winner Grimseeming Nebt Of the Fallen Star Weathered Grion Lord/Lady of Scimitars Oathbound Brylex Bearer of the Jewel All-seeing Ava Knight of the Sun Ravenous Touless Fork-tongue Red-toothed Morn Wolf-lord/lady Silent Seyla Knight of the Lost Aged Fittle Of the Faithful D10 Result Nickname Name Title Below are several tables to assist you in building your own NPCs. Each step adds a little more detail, enabling you to drop them into your game knowing as much, or as little, about them as you choose. You can just start with a name, and rll in the rest as you play, letting the players shape who the character becomes, and generating details as you need them. Alternatively, you can create an NPC where you know a great deal, even as far as a sideline quest, should you choose. Roll on the tables you rnd useful, ignore those you don’t, and build your version of Lothric precisely as you see it! Roll on the following table twice, choosing either a Nickname and a Name, or a Name and Title. dis should give you a good, DARK SOULS-y name! 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9
256 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 Chews their nails, constantly A clump of blooming purple moss Return an item to the grave of an angry undead Knight Sucks on a mouldy piece of straw A eask of mead Find the punchline to a joke, heard long ago Falls asleep mid-sentence A carefully preserved rnger bone Find out what was scrawled on the trunk of a withered tree Grins, hungrily An old dagger Find a copy of a long-lost grimoire Whistles a shrill and tuneless song when not speaking A broken ring Recover the bones of a lost friend Plays with a knife, running it delicately over their knuckles An unlit rrebomb Learn the tune to a song now forgotten Claps their hands with delight at everything the player characters say A silver necklace Put out three candles, burning on the top eoor of a castle Giggles, hiding their mouth behind blood-stained hands A vial of poison Bring back the last eower of the moon plant Shrugs, mournfully, before they speak A book, rlled with images of dragons Pour poison in a certain person’s cup Always has tears streaming down their cheeks A locket, with a painted miniature inside Convey an apology to one of the Lords of Cinder D10 Result Quirk Gift Sidequest The next stage is to pick a quirk. No one, but no one, is normal in DARK SOULS. And why should they be? How, after all, can one expect to endure the endless gloom of Lothric and remain… typical? Roll on the following table, or use it to inspire how your NPC presents to the player characters; it might be a small quirk of pronunciation, or a way they move their hands when speaking, but something to immediately identify them. Does talking to them yield anything immediately for the player characters? NPCs often give items. If your NPC is going to do so, you can roll on the following table to rnd out precisely what it is, or use it to inspire your own choice. Finally, do they attempt to involve the player characters in a side quest of some sort? de rnal table is an array of possible options for such additional adventures—making the player characters’ lives just a little more complex is your job as a GM, after all!
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258 Tabletop roleplaying games often take the form of big, lengthy campaigns, played over numerous sessions, spanning months and even years. Some campaigns are shorter, with a pre-planned narrative, and only a handful adventures leading to a dramatic climax, and others are more open-ended, with the adventurers constantly rnding new adventures to occupy them. Both campaign types can work in DARK SOULS the Roleplaying Game.de tight focus of the narratives featured in DARK SOULS games makes a limited campaign, with say, 12 or 15 sessions, perhaps the more immediately apparent choice, but there’s no reason a more open-ended game couldn’t work. After all, who hasn’t wondered what happened after the events of a DARK SOULS game? You completed DARK SOULS III, say, and wanted to know what happened next. Now’s your chance to tell that story. To see if any of the Unkindled can rnd some form of redemption, if new Lords of Cinder arise, or if the player characters themselves become the corrupt, broken creatures they once sought to defeat. A campaign possesses certain advantages over a single adventure, in terms of the type and complexity of story you, and your players, can tell. But it does require something to pull the player characters through. It doesn’t need to be a plot, necessarily, though a strong plot or narrative urge can propel a campaign. It can be as simple as a player character’s individual motivation. In the DARK SOULS games, the overarching plot is one of a quest to rnd and link the rre, ushering in an age of darkness or preserving the diminished age of light. dis is to generalise a little, but the core quest is grand, its archetypal, and it involves the world. dis can help shape your thinking when beginning to create your own overarching campaign plot; the quest itself possesses mysterious elements— where did the rre come from, what does linking truly mean, why can only the undead pursue such quests?—but, at the same time, it remains clear and simple in its premise. dese are good guidelines for devising your own. The most pressing issue, when building a campaign in DARK SOULS: Ce Roleplaying Game is one of motivation. In the DARK SOULS video games, if you want to participate in the game, you accept the requirements of the game immediately. de same isn’t true in a tabletop roleplaying game. Every experienced GM (and a fair few inexperienced ones) tell horror stories about the player who just wouldn’t join in the story, or ignored obvious clues, because ‘my character wouldn’t do that’ or ‘what’s my motivation to do that?’. In DARK SOULS, it can be a little hard to answer. de world is in ruins; what are the player characters rghting for? We’ve tried to help, somewhat, with the addition of our rules for generating a past, a last memory, and a drive for the player characters, but even that might not be enough. If this is the case, you might try building a campaign around the extirpation of the undead. Perhaps a Lord of Cinder is determined to preserve their power forever, and seeking to destroy all Unkindled, and any other aticted with the curse. Perhaps the player characters need to stop an Unkindled from refusing to link the rre, plunging the world into darkness, and potentially killing them all. Your campaigns can be this direct - focused on forcing the players to defend themselves, and participate in the story. dis is where the abstruseness of much DARK SOULS lore proves a real boon. Fragments and faint references from the game can become prophecies, coaxing characters forward. Use them to augment your campaigns, answering questions the player characters are interested in, and posing more and deeper mysteries to be explored. Kindling the Flame — Campaigns
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261 The Estus eask is one of the few sources of healing in DARK SOULS: Ce Roleplaying Game, and certainly the most easily accessible. dis makes it a valuable resource, and, more importantly, makes rerlling it essential for the player characters if they hope to survive long. As a result, deciding when to allow player characters to rerll their Estus Flasks is a major decision, as is determining the number of bonrres you place in your adventure. A bonrre is a safe haven for player characters. It functions, both in the video games and DARK SOULS: Ce Roleplaying Game¸ as a save point. When you die, you’ll wake up at the nearest bonrre, able to start again. It also entirely rerlls an Estus Flask. Placing bonrres is one of the key determining factors in how diCcult, or easy, your adventure is. It can also assist in reinforcing the kind and style of adventure you’re designing. A very combat heavy adventure, where the player characters must hack their way through legions of hollows and silver knights, might have bonrres located close to each other, ensuring player characters don’t need to retrace their steps to the same extent. A more open, roleplay-heavy adventure might have fewer, ensuring the players need to be more cautious. de following number of bonrres is a rough estimate of how many, per section, you might deploy dependent on intended diCculty: Easy: 4 bonrres per section Middling: 2-3 bonrres per section Hard: 1 bonrre per section If you’ve placed your bonrres, and are concerned the adventure is too hard, you can always tweak things by introducing additional opportunities for the player characters to rll their Estus Flasks. For example, after a boss or mini-boss is killed, everyone’s Estus Flask might be restored to capacity again. Tweak things as and when you need them, to suit your game! Kindling the Flame — Bonfires & Estus Refills
262 Kindling the Flame — Equipment: Finding it, Winning it, and Buying it There’s a lot of equipment options in this book. It allows players to design and build their characters as they wish, adapting them to suit the enemies they encounter, the diCculties they must overcome. Armour choices, weapon selection, deciding which ring to wear… all of these can prove the diierence between triumph and an untimely awakening beside a bonrre without a soul to your name. So how do you they get equipment? A great deal of this falls on you as a GM. In the video games, equipment is acquired in the following three ways: dese three options work perfectly in DARK SOULS: Ce Roleplaying Game too, although it does require some work from you, the GM. Below, you’ll rnd a table oiering some guidance on what a merchant might be selling, and what player characters might rnd in diierent locations, depending on their level. You can use these to guide your choices when constructing an adventure or introducing the player characters to a new merchant NPC! Remember to place some interesting NPCs, or equipment for the player characters to rnd in each location. Only one or two is really needed but place them in challenging locations—they’re a great means of getting players to engage with the setting! Available Armour Available Shields Available Rings Available Spells Available Souls Available Weapons AC11-13 AC +1 1d6 damage Any 1-5 Fading Soul or Soul of a Deserted Corpse AC14-16 AC+2 1d8 damage Any 6-10 Large Soul of an Unknown Traveller AC+3 AC+3 AC17-18 AC18+ 1d10 damage Any 11-15 Soul of a Seasoned Warrior 1d12 damage Any 16+ Soul of a Champion 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 PC Level Winning It Kill something, and take its stui. Finding It Exploring and searching the environment often turns up interesting or unexpected items. Buying It Even in the ruins of Lothric, you’ll rnd traders, who’ll accept souls as payment.
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264 White summon sign Passing over a white summoning sign calls up a white phantom who immediately restores the summoner to full base Position and does the same to one other player character of the summoner’s choice, before vanishing. Red summon sign An old, cruel spirit appears, determined to duel the summoner. Like the Warrior of Sunlight, this spirit uses the Silver Knight statistics. It immediately attacks the summoner and is only interested in them. It pursues them for the duration of one combat, or for one hour. If it succeeds in killing them, the summoner awakes as normal at the nearest bonrre. If the summoner manages to kill the summoned red spirit, they gain triple the usual reward of souls. A red spirit cannot be healed, and, if it is killed, does not return Golden summon sign An ethereal Warrior of Sunlight is called to your aid; the summoner gains the services of a Warrior of Sunlight (use the Silver Knight statistics). de Warrior follows all of the summoner’s instructions for the duration of one battle, or one hour. de Warrior of Sunlight cannot be healed, and if it is killed, it does not return. After a battle, or once an hour elapses, the Warrior fades. Purple summon sign Used to call up the berserk spirits of the Mound-makers, these warriors attack anything and everything, seeking to ineict as much damage as they can. de mound-maker spirits use the Pontii Knight statistics. dey remain for the duration of one battle, or one hour. During that time, they attack any creature within 10 feet of them, immediately switching targets should a new creature move to within 10 feet of them. A Mound-maker cannot be healed, and, if it is killed, does not return. Every DARK SOULS player knows what summoning is, and how entertaining and infuriating it can be. Spirits suddenly emerge as if from nowhere, invading your game and ineicting a brutal defeat on you. Sometimes, it’s a benefactor, assisting you in a desperate rght. Sometimes, it’s a shining golden miracle, slaughtering your foes, and healing you. Summoning in the video games is a major aspect of the game, but it can feel very diierent in a tabletop roleplaying game. As a result, we’ve not built Summonings into the core game system. dese are entirely optional rules which you, as the GM, and your players can decide to use, or not use, as you decide. dere are several diierent types of Summoning, each bringing a diierent type of spirit into the world. Some are benevolent, aiding the player characters in the form of healing or as an ally against the foe. Still others are there simply to kill the player characters, simply because they can. In the world of Lothric, there is no such thing as mercy. Each type of Summoning has a diierent colour attached to it and can be found throughout the ruined kingdom. Summoning spots are denoted by a scrawled shape on the ground, of the appropriate colour. Depending on how brutal and DARK SOULSian you want your games, we suggest that a summoning is triggered either: Kindling the Flame — Optional Rules: Summonings Or Each of the diierently coloured summoning signs has a diierent set of rules attached, as found below: By passing within 5 ft of a summoning sign, a player character automatically triggers it. Standing on the summoning sign, and using an action to summon.
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267 ong since consumed by the darkness, Lothric once Courished, growing strong on the trade of its merchants, and the valour of its knights. re kingdom’s capital, Lothric itself, sat high upon a rocky pinnacle; nigh impregnable. In the many wars fought between the realms of men in the deep past, none ever succeeded in capturing Lothric. Its ring wall was too vast, its scouts able to spy the forces of the enemy long before they drew close enough to lay siege, and its defenders too resilient to let their home succumb. But being able to keep the armies of the foe at bay did not aid them against the curse of undeath, as it spread across the land. It did not aid them against the pus of man, rising in the streets. It did not aid them as darkness claimed all they had fought for, over generations. The World of Lothric Now Lothric, both the city and the kingdom, are damned. re streets of the city are mortuaries for the uninterred dead, the only inhabitants are mindless remnants of what might have been human beings, shueing through the world, hands grasping at the air in desperate supplication. re hollows, pathetic as they are, remain dangerous, and other, more fell, creatures now dwell in the shadows, always hungering. What once gleamed from the mountain and dominated the land as beacons of the potential of humanity, of its resourcefulness and genius, now remain only as testaments to hubris, and incubators of shadows. ris is the world into which you must venture. A kingdom of beauty irrevocably tarnished; of greatness brought low; of bonds of loyalty and humanity forever sundered. It is the world of DARK SOULS.
268 The overview of key locations in Lothric is not intended to be exhaustive. Instead, it’s meant to allow you to quickly select a location and get playing! rink of these less as deep insights into the lore of DARK SOULS, and more as tool kits to allow you to quickly and edectively get playing in one of the iconic settings from DARK SOULS III. With a few tables, you can create new and challenging scenarios for player characters, sending od the unkindled into dangerous places from which they won’t emerge… unscathed. Each location is a double page spread, featuring art to convey the nature of the location, before a brief overview of the history and nature of the place is coupled with random encounter tables, NPC details, and other key information. ris isn’t intended to be exhaustive; we’ve not included a write up of every NPC you might meet in the video game, or mentioned every drop. We’ve picked out those parts we feel contribute best to a tabletop RPG experience, to the game we want DARK SOULS: Ce Roleplaying Game to be. ris goes for every aspect of the write-up; from the NPCs to the lists of discoverable items. Neither is complete, and nor should they be. Add in your own, remove those you don’t like. Make these places your own! A quick word of warning: there aren’t any maps! ris is deliberate. DARK SOULS video games don’t provide maps—iguring out where to go, inding the small recesses where new and unusual items (and characters!) lurk is part of the most interesting and important elements of gameplay. Players need to explore, to learn the levels. So make your player characters do the same. Don’t risk them, simply looking up where things are, and don’t be ixed to what has gone before, create your own environments based on these locations, not constrained by them. So, let the great bells of the Cathedral of the Deep toll; the journey begins… re World of Lothric — Using This Chapter Each write-up contains the following: An overview of the location Its history, and its denizens. NPC's Short overviews of the people the player characters can meet, as they venture through the areas. Boss Most locations possess a boss, a dreadful opponent possessed of terrifying abilities. ris section gives you some potential battle tactics. Random Encounters The creatures wandering this place... these are the things you must confront in your quest.
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270 D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d6 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d8 Hollows 1d3+3 Starved Hounds 1d4+3 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d10 Skeleton 1d8+2 Hollows 2d4+2 Skeletons 1d4+1 Starved Hounds 1d6+3 Skeletons 1d6+4 Ravenous Crystal Lizards re World of Lothric Cemetery of Ash Old, forsaken, untended for a century or more, the Cemetery of Ash is a dark, melancholy place. Unburied corpses are found in stacks everywhere waiting to be recalled from the grip of death, grey Cowers bloom from thin soil, and the monuments to the glorious dead are toppled, or else wrapped with etiolated vines. re sky is a vast swab of grey; the sun long since banished. Here, one can discern the tolling of the ancient bells warning the Lords of Cinder the ire might soon be linked. Here, the ancient unkindled are dragged from their graves, and sent upon the quest to the irelink shrine. Here… things begin. 1 x Soul of an Unknown Traveller (800 Souls) 1 x Blooming Purple Moss Clump 5 x Firebombs Discoverables
271 Irina of Carim Drawn to the Cemetery by the call of the ire, by the urge to link to the Came, Irina soon realised she did not possess the strength of body, or faith, to do so. Despairing, the dark soon began to swarm around her, claiming her for its own. Upon meeting Irina, the player characters soon realise she’s a kindly, optimistic character, woefully out of place in the midst of the desolation that almost claimed her. She knows much of the use, and collection, of miracles, able to advise on their use, and even, perhaps sell a few such spells to those capable of asking politely. Despite her friendliness, Irina knows she loses parts of herself each day. re darkness gnaws away at her insides, stripping back all that was Irina, leaving behind only emptiness, and shadow. Irina has access to up to three Miracles of 1st-3rd level. She’s prepared to sell these to the player characters, should they prove themselves worthy of her time, attention, and patience. Irina is AC14, with 20 Position. She won’t ight if she’s attacked. he’ll simply curl in upon herself, and mutter about the darkness taking everyone, as blows rain down upon her. Eygon of Carim Where his countrywoman, Irina, retains her humanity, Eygon is cold, cynical, and brutal. To those who invoke his ire, he is also a dangerous opponent. Eygon long since abandoned any notion of redemption, of escaping the curse gradually hollowing him out. Indeed, he does not believe in anything, save the strength of his arm, and the certainty of the coming of darkness. rere is little human in Eygon anymore. All that remains is a certainty the age of darkness approaches, and a willingness to battle any who anger him. Despite this hostility, some vestiges of the person Eygon might once have been do remain. His visits to see Irina, drawn to her by the coincidence of their land of birth, reveals something approximating kindness, vulnerability. All that remains besides this is spite. Should, as is very likely, Eygon of Carim irritate the player character sutciently to lead to a ight, Eygon uses the Pontid Knight statistics, though player characters gain double the number of souls for defeating him. NPCs Bosses Iudex Gundyr Little is known of this fallen knight, save he has become the guardian of the Firelink Shrine, denying entry to any who prove unworthy. His methods of determining unworthiness are, as might be anticipated, extremely straightforward. When the player characters irst encounter Iudex, he is silent and immobile, until the player characters remove the sword implanted in his chest. re player characters might be reluctant to do so, but the Firelink Shrine is inaccessible unless Iudex is defeated (for more on the Firelink Shrine, see page 272). Drawing the sword from Iudex’s chest stirs the ancient knight into motion. It immediately attacks the player character nearest to it, driving them back, and then using its powerful attacks to deal immense damage to anyone who comes into melee range. Iudex attempts to hold his ground, forcing the player characters to come to him, and then hitting hard. ris isn’t a subtle ight, and, even if injured, Iudex maintains these tactics.
272 Lighting the Bonfire Player characters are not obliged to light the bonire. Linking the Came preserves the age of light, and it is possible they opt to usher in the age of darkness. Should they decide to light the shrine, it requires a DC12 Wisdom (Insight) check to do so. Should this check be successful, the bonire erupts into scintillant life, connecting with each of the bonires throughout Lothric, and holding the darkness at bay for a little longer. Lighting the bonire in this fashion grants each of the player characters within 15 feet of the bonire the ability to immediately appear adjacent to any bonire they’ve previously encountered, in any location. rey are able to travel from one bonire to any other bonire they’ve already visited. Any player character not within 15 feet of the bonire when it’s lit can gain this ability by plunging their hand into the ire. rey suder 1d6 ire damage as a result, but afterwards are able to travel as described above. Encounters The Shrine is safe from the invasion of dark forces. Nothing attacks the player characters while within its walls. re World of Lothric Firelink Shrine There are few safe places left in the world. Few places where travellers may rest easy, where the darkness is kept out, where the warmth of humanity still lingers. Such a place is the Firelink shrine; here, the Came can be renewed, relinked, preserving the age of light for a few more years. Or, the ire can be snuded out, ushering in the illimitable darkness. Such is the choice of the Unkindled, and it is here the choice is made. Upon entering the Firelink Shrine, one is confronted by the ive empty thrones, where the Lords of Cinder once sat. Stairs lead od, up into small gardens, where a great petriied oak looks onto the vista of Lothric, the city on high. From this vantage, one can see the ruination visited upon Lothric. And, back within the shrine, there lies the bonire. A marble Coor, slightly sunken with steps, leading towards the warped bowl the Came dwells in, the home of the ire is easy enough to ind. And there, any who gaze upon it, face the choice of linking the Came, or letting it die. It is said the Kiln of the First Flame is a dark reCection of this place, for those who manage to ind it 1 x Firekeeper Robes 1 x Soul of a Deserted Corpse (200 Souls) Discoverables
273 Fire Keeper Wise and worldly, but tentative, the Fire Keeper tends to the ire at the shrine. When it is lit, it is she who nurtures it. When it is extinguished, it is she who waits for it to be relit, ever on the watch for Unkindled who might ignite the bonire once more. Blind, as all Fire Keepers must be, she moves slowly and regally through the passages of her home, ensnared in her memories of previous ages, of times when the Came roared from the bonire, and her opinion was sought by hundreds. Now her words possess no less wisdom, but there are few who care to listen. For those who do seek her counsel, she knows much of the secret lore of Lothric. She remembers the kingdom in its days of glory, when the knights rode in procession through its winding streets, and there is much truth to be imparted to those prepared to listen, and, perhaps, do her bidding. re Fire Keeper cannot be killed. She has an AC of 10, and, if attacked, dies instantly. She reappears, entirely whole and unharmed, ive minutes later, wandering around the shrine as though nothing had happened. If a player character is in conversation with the Fire Keeper, they may level up as though they were at a bonire. rey may not Long rest, however. Shrine Handmaiden Undeath does not immediately remove an entrepreneurial spirit, or a compulsion to serve. re Shrine Handmaiden demonstrates as much. She’s a merchant, a trader, in any goods she can ind. Name it, she’ll ind it, and sell it to you. Humanity dwindling away tends to make one a better trader; sticking to your price more edectively, deaf to entreaties for help or sympathy… the Shrine Handmaiden is not so far gone, as yet, though she retains a ruthlessness in coordinating transactions that might lead one to wonder. re Handmaiden is also deeply loyal to the Fire Keeper, assisting her in her tasks, and caring for her when necessary; like most who dwell within the Firelink Shrine, she’s capable of great kindness, though she doesn’t yield where business is concerned. re Shrine Handmaiden is bound to the Fire Keeper, and, like her mistress, cannot be killed. She has AC 10 and 20 Position; should she be attacked, she shrugs, and accepts her fate, waiting patiently to be killed. A little while later, she’s restored to life, and is still prepared to sell to the player characters—though now prices have doubled. Ludleth of Courland Shrunken, withered, charred to a carbonized nub, Ludleth of Courland is one of the Lords of Cinder. In linking the ire, his body was consumed utterly by the raging conCagration, leaving him as he is now: a small, fragile doll-like creature. Despite his diminished stature, Ludleth is not without the arrogance beitting his station. He was a great scholar, a hermeticist learned in the ancient and sinister art of transposition. Ludleth knows much of the corrupt and sinister aspects of the world; indeed, he spent many long hours researching them in pursuit of power, of knowledge, of dark infamy. Ludleth may seem a sad, even comical igure now, but this is to underestimate him. rere is a cruel, calculating intelligence remaining behind his shrunken visage— those who deal with him, seeking information, should be wary of the deals Ludleth oders. Ludleth of Courland cannot be killed, though, should the player characters ind a means of illing the four thrones around Ludleth, he vanishes into ash. Anri of Astora A knight of courage, and dignity, Anri of Astor found their way to the Firelink Shrine after their companion—the taciturn Horace— became lost, somewhere in the ancient Catacombs of Carthus. rey routinely sally out from the Shrine, seeking their erstwhile comradein-arms. Anri appears oddly absent-minded when irst encountered, their speech possessing a dreamlike cast, but a sharp mind and a sharper blade await any who challenge them, without care. rey are iercely loyal to Horace, and seek to enlist any they meets in his search. re two are bound to walk the road of sacriices together, searching for the Lords of Cinder. Anri might make a powerful ally… or an equally implacable enemy. In the DARK SOULS video game, Anri’s gender is the opposite of the player characters’. Anri of Astora uses the pontid knight statistics, though their AC is increased by 2, as is their initiative DC. Player characters gain double souls for killing Anri. Should they do so, and, if they ever meet Horace, he immediately attacks them. NPCs
274 Where do the dead go? rey can’t be buried in the earth, not whole anyway; they just dig their way out. No, they require a place to live, and so was the Undead Settlement formed. A ghetto, a retreat, a place where the undead could be conined, and… dealt with. re undead were brought here, some lured by promises of a home. Others simply rounded up and herded here. Once within the conines of the settlement, it was not ditcult to discern the true purpose of the place. Here, the undead were to be hacked apart before being consigned to the earth. re undead choke the streets, milling about, broken and mindless, in their hundreds. Tools of torture hang from every surface, and tables where the still struggling bodies were brought, stretched out and dissected, stand as grim monuments to the viciousness of which all are capable— whether undead or fully alive. Amidst the shambling undead, clad in the faded raiment of old lives, one stumbles upon severed heads, amputated ingers, and the stumps of hacked od limbs. Not everyone who came to the undead settlement did so with the intention of carving up its inhabitants. Some came to minister and teach the dead, pointing them toward the road of sacriice, to the means of dealing with the curse. Perhaps, occasionally, they were successful. Perhaps there is hope, even here, amidst this foulness. 2 x Large Soul of a Deserted Corpse (400 Souls) 1 x Soul of an Unknown Traveller (800 Souls) 6 x Firebomb 1 x Book Discoverables re World of Lothric Undead Settlement D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d4 Hollows 1d3 Skeletons 1d3 + 2 Corvians 1d6 + 2 Hollows 1d10 Skeletons 1d6 + 1 Bonewheel Skeletons 1d3 + 1 Wretches 1d3 Giants 1d8 + 3 Hollows 1d4 + 1 Giants
275 Yoel of Londor One of the enigmatic pilgrims who cross the land of Lothric, bearing some mission within their breasts, Yoel of Londor is a former sorcerer. What befell him in the undead settlement is uncertain, but he can be encountered irmly shackled and left to rot. He is enormously grateful to any who are prepared to aid him, swearing fealty, and guaranteeing his faithful companionship whenever and wherever his rescuer might require it. He is far from learned in the ways of Lothric, but he is loyal and true— as a DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check conirms—and aids those who treat him well. Yoel uses the man-serpent statistics. He also has access to three spells up to 3rd level, of the GM’s choice. Holy Knight Hodrick Long driven mad by his experience as one of the undead, Hodrick is committed to his path of violence against any he deems to be experiencing the edects of hollowing. So dedicated is he to this quest, he created an order of knights to assist him: the Mound Makers. Unusually, Hodrick knows himself to be mad, or suspects it, but does nothing to restrain his homicidal impulses. Instead he glories in them, travelling the world as he pleases, seeking out new victims for his battlelust. He’s a dangerous opponent, though he can be reasoned with. Upon encountering Hodrick, a successful DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check is enough to convince him the player characters are not hollows in need of swift execution. In such a case, he might even be prevailed upon for some directions on the Road of Sacriices, though this is usually in exchange for a promise to kill hollows and bring him proof. Hodrick uses the Alonne knight statistics. If he is defeated, however, he does not die, but smiles, laughs, and disappears. Should a player character attempt a summoning on a purple sign, Hodrick might reappear—at the GMs discretion. NPCs Bosses Curse-Rotted Greatwood Worshipped by those within the undead settlement still capable of such acts, the curse-rotted greatwood teems with dark magic. Its immediate tactic is to summon hollows to defend it, deluging the player characters with large numbers of disposable infantry, while it hits them with its more powerful attacks. ris is its typical attack pattern, keeping the player characters focused on dealing with respawning hollows, while it lashes at them with impunity.
276 re World of Lothric Cathedral of the Deep I n ages past, the Cathedral of the Deep was a truly holy place. Here the gods were worshipped with the proper rites, and the appropriate solemnity. reir church Courished as the archdeacons came to see the Cathedral as a bastion of the faith. Until the darkness came, and the curse fell across the land. Gradually, the church crumbled into obsolescence; its believers found other gods to worship, and other faiths to cling to. But the cathedral remained, and, as the world beyond its perimeter grew stranger and more dangerous, so too did the beliefs and researchers of those who still lived within. Soon, they began to listen to the whispers of the abyss, to heed the promises of the foul things inhabiting the deep. And so, the Cathedral became as it is now. A place of shadows, of foul forces waiting to be let free to claim the world. 1 x Fading Soul (50 Souls) 1 x Astora Greatsword 1 x Notched Whip 1 x Crest Shield 1 x Maiden’s Robes Discoverables D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d4 Pontid Knights 1d3 + 1 Giant Leeches A Mimic in the shape of a wooden lectern 1d4 + 2 Starved Hounds 1d4 Giants 1d3 Iron Golems 1d8 + 2 Hollows 1d3 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d6 Crag Spiders 1d8 Pontid Knights
277 Rosaria, Mother of Rebirth Silent, Rosaria awaits those with the strength and courage to brave the cathedral to ind her. From beneath her curiously long hair, little of her face can be seen, though the grotesque worm she shares her bed with is all too visible. re worm-grub is one of the unfortunates who pressed Rosaria for rebirth one too many times, for, as the ancient tomes reveal, one may only be reborn ive times before the warp and weft of reality reasserts its claim and punishes such hubris. rere is much power residing in the sylph-like form of Rosaria, but it is an old, incomprehensible power, and it should not be sought by those unprepared for it. A player character may, when meeting Rosaria, ask to join her Covenant. ris requires a DC 15 Charisma (Persuade) check to achieve. A player character who succeeds is able to switch any two of their attributes, up to ive times (e.g. they may change their Strength attribute for their Dexterity attribute, and their Wisdom attribute for their Charisma attribute). Each time a player character switches an attribute, they must roll a d10. On a roll of a 1, they incur a hollowing penalty. If they incur three hollowing penalties, they are immediately turned into a grub, and become an NPC. Rosaria cannot be killed, or hurt. All attempts to hit or attack her are shrugged od as though they were the merest Cea bite. Unbreakable Patches No one is quite sure where his name is derived from, but Unbreakable Patches is a mysterious creature in most respects. A knight of some martial ability, Patches is most widely renowned for his propensity to play tricks on the unwary. rere is rarely anything decidedly malicious in Patches demeanour when practicing such mischief. Quite the opposite, if caught by those he’s fooled, he’s usually apologetic, claiming that it’s his armour forcing him to act in a way quite contrary to his normal inclinations. Few believe him. He often dons disguises to escape the revenge of those he tricks, and, as a result, might be pretending to be someone else when irst encountered. Unbreakable Patches uses the Alonne knight statistics, but player characters gain double souls for killing him. If they choose not to ight Unbreakable Patches, he might become a trader; a trickster of his talents can get hold of a great many things… NPCs Bosses Deacons of the Deep Once the great advocates and defenders of faith, of justice, and of the church itself, the Deacons of the Deep are now twisted remnants of their former selves. Warped almost beyond recognition physically, a deacon is nevertheless clad in the vestments of their former otce. reir initial assault is deliberately aggressive, bombarding the player characters with the most vicious attacks, with the aim of dividing the party, and being able to pick them od one-by-one.
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279 1 x Ring of Sacriice 1 x Blooming Purple Moss Clump 1 x Court Sorcerer Armour 1 x Brigand Twindaggers 1 x Great Club Discoverables re World of Lothric Road of Sacrifices Long ago, those destined to be sacriiced at the Cathedral of the Deep, were led along this lengthy path. rey marched on, and on. Many fell by the wayside, their bodies consumed by earth, and air. In the sinister forest fringing its path, hundreds were nailed to the trees and left to sudocate and choke on their own blood—the cruciixion woods. ris route is one of pain, and hardship, and anguish. rere is no joy to be found here, no hope. rere is only the road, and the knowledge of the blood spilled upon it. Many still stalk the road; bandits, Corvians seeking Cesh, even werewolves (or so it is rumoured) hunt the road of sacriices. It is a dangerous place. D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d4 Hollow Soldiers 1d3 + 2 Dark Knights (use Silver Knight statistics) 1d4 Starved Hounds 1d6 + 3 Corvians 1d4 Hound Rats 1d3 Darklurkers 1d8 Fang Boars 1d6 Hound Rats 1d6 + 2 Hollow Soldiers 1d8 Corvians Orbeck of Vinheim A scholar, a trader, and a traveller along the most dangerous of roads, and a man with little time for conversation with those he deems to be beneath him (which is almost everyone) Orbeck is nevertheless tolerated by most who encounter him. re reason for this is simple; Orbeck possesses an enormous number of magical scrolls—scrolls he both knows how to use to defend himself, and, most importantly, that he is prepared to sell to those who can pay the correct price. Orbeck is arrogant, conceited and pompous, but he’s useful. And, in the decaying ruins of Lothric, that’s often enough to keep you alive. Orbeck refuses to speak to any player character with an Intelligence score below 14. Orbeck uses the forest man statistics, except he has access to seven Sorcerer spells, of between 1st and 8th level, of the GM’s choice. Orbeck can sell these spells or use them, depending on how his interactions with the player characters go. NPCs Bosses Crystal Sage I t's surmised the Crystal Sage might have studied under the legendary sorcerer Big Hat Logan, Crystal Sage is a deadly opponent, and utilises an array of spells to strike the player characters at a distance. re sage does its best to maintain this distance, constantly moving, and skirting the edges of the environment, sticking to corners. ris ensures the player characters seldom get the opportunity to gang up on it. ris is a key element of the Sage’s tactics, as it is extremely weak against physical attacks.
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281 2 x Large Soul of a Deserted Corpse (400 Souls) 1 x Carthus Curved Greatsword 1 x Carthus Shotel 1 x Bonewheel Shield 1 x Carthus Bloodring 1 x Witch’s Ring Discoverables re World of Lothric Catacombs of Carthus Once a great nation, famed for its swordsmen, all of what was Carthus is now a series of burrows beneath the earth. It is said the former ruler of Carthus, Wolnir, fell to abyssal corription, condemning his entire realm was dragged into the soil. So do all great kingdoms collapse, consumed by their own darkness, and the corruption of their rulers. re catacombs containing the lost empire wind in and upon one another, and it is extremely easy to become lost within their vastness. Ancient, fell ire magic can be found within the catacombs, and many of the secrets of that once mighty place remain to be found by those able to withstand the darkness coursing through the subterranean labyrint NPCs D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d6 + 2 Giant Clams 1d3 + 1 Hound Rats 1d8 + 3 Skeletons 1d6 + 4 Skeletons 1d8 + 1 Bonewheel Skeleton 1d4 + 2 Carthus Swordsmen (use Alonne Knight statistics) 1d4 +2 Hound Rats 1d10 Skeletons 1d4 + 1 Bonewheel Skeletons 1d3 Bat-winged Demons Horace the Hushed What silenced Horace, the knight and stalwart companion of Anri of Astora, none can say, but his epithet is well-deserved. No true words pass his hidden lips, only a sound like that a dog might make at a trespasser—a low, faintly threatening growl. re hulking igure, encased within a massive suit of armour, has never been seen by any person living. Even Anri does not know what the face of her friend looks like. Horace is a redoubtable ighter, bludgeoning aside his foes with brutal sweeps of his ists, and using the Llewellyn shield (see page 176) to defend against ripostes. Upon encountering Horace, player characters may try to communicate with him. Horace’s irst action, however, is to attack. rere is no reason for his hostility. Should the player characters attempt to reason with him, a DC 20 Wisdom (Insight), or Charisma (Persuade) check calms him, though he quickly stalks od. Horace uses the forest man statistics, with +2 AC. Player characters gain double souls for killing him. Bosses Demon Prince The realm beneath the earth is, as one might expect, swarming with creatures of chaos. re demon ruling over much of what was once Carthus is such a beast. Huge, deadly, and with a remorseless cruelty, it delights in subjecting those it ights to the most painful of deaths. re demon immediately charges at the most heavily armoured player character, delivering a series of attacks designed to keep this most dangerous opponent occupied, and scared. Once this is achieved, the demon picks out any magic-users, seeking to disable them, before it can deal with the rest of its opponents in a more leisurely fashion.
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283 re World of Lothric Irithyll of the Boreal Valley Where the snow falls unceasingly, where the land is perpetually cast in the soft glow of the moon, in the depths of the Boreal Valley… there, one inds the ancient city of Irithyll. Nearby, one inds the Cathedral of the Deep, where the Pontid Sulyvahn gradually constructed the faith devoted to the great devourer, Aldrich. Here the pontid knights still hold sway, but now they march through streets where the living have been forgotten. re only inhabitants of Irithyll now are those slaves too broken, or unfortunate, to run. re darkness permeating the place does not stop some from visiting it, however. Rumours of its former grandeur, and the wealth amassed by those who once ruled over it, draws any with dextrous ingers and a set of lockpicks. But few escape with anything save tales of madness, of cruelty, and of the endless serried ranks of the pontid knights. Siegward of Catarina A thoughtful, even whimsical, knight, Siegward of Catarina was drawn to Irithyll at the promise of the mysteries contained within its walls. He’s since become utterly ensnared in the riddles, engimas, and puzzles the fallen city has provided. Whether it’s the mechanisms powering a lift, or the architecture of the Cathedral’s architraves, or the means by which the Boreal Valley’s temperature remains so low, Siegward seems fascinated by it. Mysteries such as these have captured and maintained Siegward’s intense focus for the long weeks he’s spent within the boundaries of Irithyll and the surrounding valley. He’s a talkative sort, and eager to help anyone who shows any interest in the same mysteries as him. Or, saving that, someone who’ll talk to him. Siegward is a reliable, decent knight. Should any player character attack him, he’ll respond with baeement, and try to placate them. He uses the Silver Knight statistics, though he deals d12 slashing damage with his zweihander. NPCs Bosses Sulyvahn, Ponti! of the Devourer Once one of the most powerful sorcerers in all of Lothric, Sulyvahn is now a warrior of phenomenal potency. He is a duellist, wielding two swords, and capable of hacking his way through dozens of opponents in seconds. In a ight, Sulyvahn wades into the centre of the battle, hacking away at any opponents who draw too near, seeking to dominate, to slice and dismember in the most ostentatiously impressive fashion possible. rere is little subtlety to his approach, but endless variety in the means by which he cleaves Cesh and bone. D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d4 + 1 Pontid Knights 1d3 + 2 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d3 + 2 Giants 1d6 + 3 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d8 + 2 Silver Knights 1d4 + 2 Pontid Knights 1d4 Iron Golems 1d10 Irithyllian Beast Hounds 1d4 + 1 Sewer Centipedes 1d3 Mimics disguised as treasure chests 1 x Pontid ’s Left Eye 1 x Silver Knight armour 1 x Smough’s Great Hammer 1 x Storm Curved Sword 1 x Large Soul of an Intrepid Hero (2500 Souls) Discoverables
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285 re World of Lothric Irithyll Dungeon Karla A prisoner, consigned to the dungeons of Irithyll, Karla was taken at the order of the Pontid. She made the mistake of possessing a deep knowledge of dark sorcery, and insutcient wisdom to avoid using it in a place the many eyes of the Pontid might not detect her. She retains this knowledge, and, to those willing to help her escape the darkness of her cell, she is prepared to teach and trade such secrets. She is intelligent and powerful, but she is also far from unconscious of the sinister secrets of the world, and she mistrusts both her own knowledge and those who pry too deeply into the darkness. Karla can be killed; she is AC 12 and has 30 Position. She does not ight back, though she possesses enough sorcery to destroy almost any challenger. She is simply too tired of the misery of the world. If the player characters aid her, she is prepared to trade with them for numerous spells, miracles, and pyromancies, between 1st and 10th level. NPCs Bosses There is no single, terrifying foe exerting dominion over the dungeon. But there’s plenty of smaller beings, keen to consume the player characters if given the chance. D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1 Mimic disguised as a suit of armour 1d3 + 1 Hound Rats 1d4 + 2 Sewer Centipedes 1d4 + 3 Hound Rats 1d8 + 1 Bonewheel Skeleton 1d6 + 1 Hollows 1 Basilisk 1d3 Giants 1d4 + 1 Hounds 1d3 + 1 Darklurkers 1 x Large Soul of a Nameless Soldier (3000 souls) 1 x Deep Ring 1 x Murakamo 1 x Alva Armour 1 x Old Sorcerer Robes Discoverables The Pontid Sulyvahn, like most fanatics, did not allow for unbelievers. Such unfortunates were condemned to the Irithyll dungeons, deep beneath the city, where they were ‘cleansed’ of the sin of unbelief. Torturers worked for hours, days, even weeks on those deemed to be beyond saving, purifying their souls for Aldrich, the Devourer. Over time, the dungeon became illed with any who deied the Pontid, or those the Pontid believed might be forced to give up valuable information. re dungeon’s reputation spread, until it became a by-word for brutality, for despair, and for the evil slowly sudusing the Cathedral of the Deep. Venturing into the darkness beneath Irithyll is to be confronted by the very literal depths of human depravity.
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287 D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1 Basilisk 1d3 + 1 Dog Rats 1d3 Darkwraiths 1d6 + 2 Corvians 1d6 Forlorn 1d6 + 1 Corvians 1d8 Forlorn 1d3 + 3 Corvians 1d8 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d3 Basilisks re World of Lothric Farron Keep I t was here, in this place, that the soldiers of Farron’s undead legion made their home. It was here they built their citadel, a place to rest and recuperate between engagements. After all, mercenary forces are never popular anywhere for long—especially those whose recruits are undead, and rapidly hollowing. But, when the legion chose to seek the power of the Cinder Lords for itself the darkness crept in, the wolf blood sustaining them dried up, and the keep and the area surrounding it was slowly consumed. Now, the keep is swallowed by poisonous swamp. Fetid marsh makes passage across the land itself treacherous, and the creatures infesting the dankness hunger for warm Cesh. Nowhere is safe, now. Some believe, before Farron erected his keep here, a great and beautiful land stretched out here, but these are mere memories of a long since forsaken past. Now, there is only the sucking foulness of the swamp, and the chittering of insects. 1 x Purple Moss Clump 1 x Black Bow of Pharis 1 x Antiquated Plain Armour 1 x Wolf Ring Discoverables Hawkwood A deserter, both of his duty and his comrades, Hawkwood turned his back on the Undead Legion and now dwells in a perpetual state of cynicism, and self-loathing, constantly sniping and snarling at any who attempt to speak to him. He retains a dark sense of humour, however, and is more than willing to unveil his particularly nihilistic philosophy for anyone who'll listen. Despite his desertion and apparent cowardice, Hawkwood is a skilled and dangerous opponent. His abandoning of friends and oath had little to do with the fear of death or pain. Instead, Hawkwood saw the indiderence of the universe, and chose to greet it with his own callous disinterest. Hawkwood utilises the Pontid Knight statistics, though he has 30 Position, and deals 1d10 slashing damage with his broadsword. Defeating him earns the player characters double souls. NPCs Bosses Stray Demon Once brightly lit with Came, the stray demon is now pallid, its Came extinguished, though its fury remains unquenched. re demon uses the ire demon statistics, though it deals bludgeoning damage instead of ire damage. I t immediately charges the player characters, seeking to deliver a number of brutal attacks (use Asylum Demon statistics on page 327), smashing any resistance, and driving the group apart. It then maintains its grip on the battleield by keeping the party divided, hurling anyone who gets too close away, and protecting a perimeter around itself with brutal arcs of its club.
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289 re World of Lothric Profaned Capital The Profaned Capital is a place devoid of life; there are no people to meet here. NPCs Bosses Yhorm the Giant His face wreathed in darkness, his eyes reduced to embers, there is little left of the Yhorm who was once begged to rule over the Profaned Capital, so great was his wisdom; so respected his judgement. Now, there is only memory, and regret, and the rage of the Lords of Cinder. Yhorm lures enemies towards him, moving slowly and ponderously at irst. ren he suddenly twists, and bring his blade around in a vicious sweep, aiming to injure multiple player characters at once. Yhorm is extremely resilient and patient, but his fury, when unleashed, is devastating. D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d3 Jailers (use Hollow statistics) 1d4 + 2 Gargoyles 1d6 + 1 Sewer Centipedes 1d6 + 2 Cragspiders 1d8 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d6 + 1 Gargoyles 1d4 + 2 Jailers (use Hollow statistics) 1d6 + 2 Cragspiders 1d4 + 1 Starved Hounds 1d3 + 1 Irithyllian Beast Hounds 1 x Large Soul of a Weary Warrior (8000 Souls) 3 x Blooming Purple Moss Clump 1 x Court Sorcerer Armour 1 x Greatshield of Glory 1 x Covetous Gold Serpent Ring Discoverables Here Yhorm the Giant awaits. re Lord of Cinder, on his throne. re Profaned Capital is the heart of doomed Lothric, the cancer located in the midst of the once glistening kingdom. Long since swallowed by the foulness spreading throughout the world, the Profaned Capital is now more a home to the snapping mandibles of hideous insects, and the grasping claws of grotesque horrors, hungry and cruel and desperate to feast. rose who venture within do so in the full knowledge they might not emerge again, save as remnants expectorated from a creature’s gullet. But any who seek to slay the Lords of Cinder must step within. For there the giant king sits still, waiting for his friend to fulil his promise, at last.
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291 1 x Soul of a Crestfallen Knight (10000 Souls) 1 x Darkmoon Longbow 1 x Aldrich’s Ruby Discoverables Company Captain Yorshka A fearless warrior, Company Captain Yorshka is a leader without a body of troops at her back. re leader of the Darkmoon Blades, her soldiers were slaughtered and she, their commander, was left to carry the burden of their passing. Yorshka remains a formidable, loyal and resolute knight, refusing to be overwhelmed by her loss, or to surrender to despair. She constantly seeks new people to pledge themselves to the company, hoping one day to gather a new band of knights and to restore the order to its former glory. Yorshka can be killed, though her honour and sense of restraint means she won’t attack the player characters, instead attempting to reason with them. She uses the Pontid Knight statistics with 30 Position and +2 Initative DC. NPCs Bosses Aldrich, Devourer of Gods A twisted, monstrous blight on the earth, Aldrich is one of the Lords of Cinder. Driven by a hideous appetite, he soon began to consume the living Cesh of anything and anyone, who drew too near. He ate hundreds, thousands, chewing them with the relish a gourmand saves for the inest of meals. In battle, Aldrich is a terrible opponent to face. He moves forward quickly, engaging the foe quickly, before withdrawing, and using ranged attacks to deliver constant damage. He uses sorcery to inCict high damage attacks, while keeping the player characters perpetually dodging, and at bay. He’s a ditcult creature to overcome, and the fate of those who fall rests between Aldrich's jaws. D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d4 + 2 Silver Knights 1d3 Bat-winged Demons 1d6 Iron Golems 1d6 Giants 1d8 + 1 Silver Knights 1d6 Giants 1d4 + 3 Fang Boars 1d6 + 2 Silver Knights 1 Deacon of the Deep 1d3 Giants re World of Lothric Anor Londo Once a vast and thriving city, renowned for its beauty and for the might of its inhabitants, Anor Londo is now a broken, desolate place. Where, in the past, the gods themselves strode through its corridors, now there is only desolation, and the keening of the wind. Here, Aldrich, Devourer of the Gods began his endless, obscene consumption. Here the glowing, eternal light of the sun was snuded out. Artiicial the sunlight might have been, but it was at least warm, a blessing for those dwelling in the city’s limits. Now, the gloom claims dominion over every acre, and Aldrich’s hunger only grows more intense, more gnawing, more all-consuming.
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293 2 x Soul of a Weary Warrior (8000 Souls) 1 x Firebomb 1 x Sniper Crossbow 1 x Irithyll Rapier 1 x Winged Knight armour Discoverables D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d10 Hollows 1d4 + 2 Hound Rats 1d6 Silver Knights 1d6 Hollows 1d8 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1 Wyvern 1d4 + 2 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d4 +3 Hollows 1d8 Silver Knights 1 Mimic, disguised as a rack of weapons re World of Lothric Lothric Castle Although Eygon of Carim sometimes stalks the empty streets of Lothric, there are few others here worth talking to. NPCs Bosses Elder Prince Lorian & Younger Prince Lothric The two princes, alike in so many ways and diderent in so many others, still preside over their doomed kingdom, and anyone wishing to pass through it or to probe its secrets must, ultimately, reckon with them. Individually they are somewhat weak, but together they are a fearsome enemy. Each uses magic to prevent the ight becoming a close quarters battle, ensuring the player characters are severely punished for the arrogance of attacking two of royal birth. If either of the brothers is killed, the other continues to battle on, but is signiicantly weakened. Above the Firelink Shrine, impregnable and vast, sits Lothric Castle. Its gleaming walls, domed churches and marble towers glint in the sun still, long after all life has Ced. Now the city is one of shadows, of furtive, stealthy things, and of the two Princes, watching the age of ire and light, dwindle, dwindle into nothing. What was once a city of splendour, of magniicent craftsmanship, of elegant stonework is now crumbling, toppled, smashed. What was once a grand ediice, a testament to the power and might of the Princes who built it, is now a reminder of how quickly civilisations can fall.
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295 2 x Soul of a Crestfallen Knight (10000 Souls) 1 x Sage’s Crystal Stad 1 x Onikiri & Ubadachi 1 x Outrider Knight armour Discoverables "e Black Hand Trio Three silent knights, drawn to the Archives by some mission of which they are incapable of speaking, the Black Hand trio are trapped here. Each of the three—Lion Knight Albert; Black Hand Kamui; and Daughter of Crystal Kriemhild—is a formidable warrior in their own right, and, together, they are virtually unstoppable. How else could they have survived so long in this benighted world? So much darkness, though, has robbed them of the power to speak, and so they stand, mute sentinels, ready to attack any who approach them with hostile intentions. If one could communicate with them, there might be much to learn. It is said Kriemhild might once have been a irekeeper— such a position carries with it much knowledge. re Black Hand Trio each use the pontid knight statistics, though they always attack irst regardless of player characters’ Initiative values. Players only gain souls when they’ve defeated all three of the trio, but they will gain triple the combined total of souls for doing so. NPCs Bosses Younger Prince Lothric The young prince, again. ris time alone, but no less a predator. Relying solely on his magic, he hits the player characters again and again with the most powerful spells he can muster, aiming to inish the battle quickly, and brutally. Lothric can be quickly overcome if the ight is brought to close quarters, but if not, the player characters are certain to be overwhelmed by a ceaseless bombardment of savage magics. D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d12 Hollows 1d6 + 2 Corvians 1d6 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d6 Hollows 1d8 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d10 Corvians 1d4 + 2 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d4 + 1 Gargoyles 1d8 Hollows 1d8 Silver Knights re World of Lothric Grand Archive Knowledge of long ages, preserved, gathered, and guarded here, the Grand Archives contain all the wisdom of Lothric, and perhaps, the world. It is said there is no question to which the answer cannot be found in the apparently ininite volumes lining its shelves. All the knowledge of the ages is here, it is said, if one can only ind it. Scholars still brave the perils of the Road of Sacriices and worse to bury themselves in the labyrinth of the Grand Archives. Some are discovered, starved to death, mummiied between the shelves, preferring to die amidst such an abundance of learning than the misery beyond the walls. Death waits within the Grand Archives, of course. rere is nowhere in Lothric where creatures of darkness do not lurk.
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297 2 x Soul of a Weary Warrior (5000 Souls) 1 x Large Soul of a Crestfallen Knight (20000 Souls) 1 x Dragonslayer Spear 1 x Dragonslayer Armour Discoverables D10 Result Random Encounter 1 2 3 10 4 6 5 7 8 9 1d6 + 1 Man-Serpents 1d4 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1 Wyvern 1d6 + 2 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d8 + 1 Man-Serpents 1 Wyvern 1d4 + 2 Ravenous Crystal Lizards 1d4 Silver Knights 1d8 + 3 Man Serpents 2 Wyverns re World of Lothric Archdragon Peak There are none in this place who linger, save to pay homage to the legacy of Black Dragon Kalameet and others of their kind. NPCs Bosses "e Nameless King Mounted on a vast drake, the Nameless King is a creature from ancient nightmare. Some speculate he might be the irstborn of Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight, whose name was struck from the temples and the steles, from every record. Whoever he might once have been, the Nameless King is a terrifying opponent, moving constantly, never letting the player characters settle into an attack pattern. Using his Stormdrake to stay at a distance when needed, before quickly swooping in to deliver a brutal array of attacks, and disappear before any concerted resistance can be organised, he is capable of shattering even the most disciplined of battle lines, and strategies. Does the place exist, truly? Is it tangible, its dimensions ixed and the stone of the peak cold and hard as one’s mind insists it must be? None are sure. It is possible this place is merely some dream, a reverie of a great dragon long forgotten, dwelling beneath the earth. Whatever the truth, it is now the home to the children of Kalameet, all of whom congregate here to oder their worship to the beasts of the past. Man-serpents throng here, as do wyverns. Most who ind themselves in this strange, liminal environment comport themselves to the worship of the dragon. It is advisable, should one wish to avoid being eaten.
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299 othric, and the many lands beyond, are infested with darkness, with cruelty and with creatures capable of stripping the skin from a person— living or dead—in the merest minutes. Cey are the obstacles to the quests the unkindled must undertake, the impediments to the rame being relit or snueed out forever, the perils all adventurers must confront should they wish to achieve their goal. After all, steel must be tempered in dre for it to become strong, and the contents of this chapter are that dre. !"#$%&'$()( *#%+,"#-$%$